Toy



Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

.unrrgsn STATES EDWARD n. FR NCE, or nncnvn, wrscon'sm.

TOY.

Application filed January 21, 1925. Serial No. 3,857.

To all 'whom z't may concern: Be .it .='known that 1,;EDWARD E. FRANCE, a citizen 'of' the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of WVisconsin, pliave invented new and useful Improvements in.l1oys, of which the following is a specification.

i'Th'is invention relates to a toy, the general object of the inventionbeing to provide means whereby marbles or the like can be caused to travelfrom one end of the rotary member to the other an'd'then,returned to their starting point through the body of the member; 2 i I 1 This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which Figure 1 is a side view of the invention.

Figure 2 is an end view thereof.

Figure 3 is a section on line 8-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end view.

In these views, 1 indicates a cylindrical member of slightly tapered shape with a bore 2 at its center, the ends of the bore being plugged by the hub pieces 3. A spiral groove 1 is formed in the exterlor of the member and a hole 5 connects one end of this spiral groove with the bore 2. formed adjacent the other end of the member and communicates with the bore and this bore is connected by the zigzag groove '7 with the other end of the spiral groove. A frame 8, preferably formed of wire, and of inverted U-shape, has its limbs formed with bearings for the hub pieces 2) so that the member 1 is rotatably mounted in the frame. A handle 9 is connected with one of the hub pieces so that the member can be rotated. The bight of the frame forms a pair of track members 10 spaced above the top of the member 1 with one track member bent to form an extension 11 which will act as a guard for the front end of the spiral groove ei as will hereinafter appear. A strip of wire bent to form a pair of track members 12, is fastened to the front or large end of whiclf will support it.

A hole 6 is the member 1, and is arrangedto receive a marble 13 or othersphere passing through the hole 6 and to supportthe same, when that 1301131011 of the 1 member lcarrying the track members 12 is lowermost.

From the foregoing. it will be seen that a when a marble is dropped through one of thel holes 1nto the bore'2 of the member 1, and the member rotated inaclockwise dires-tion the marble will pass through thehole 6, when this part of the member :1 is moved downwardly beyond a horizontal position, and will roll upon the track member 12 As the track members 12 move upwardly the marble will be supported by the rear ends of such members until the part of the member 1 carrying the zigzag groove 7 approaches its highest point when the marble will roll into the angle part 7 of the groove 7 which slopes towards the spiral groove so that the marble will pass down this part 7 into the spiral groove. As will be seen, the ball is carried up by the track members 12 until it nears the top of the device, when it will roll down the groove 7, as this groove slopes, due to the tapered formation of the body 1. At this point the end of the spiral groove will be under the guard 11 so that this guard will catch the marble and irevent it from rolling off the member 1. 'lhen during the continued rotation of the member 1 the track members 10 will cause the marble to remain at the top of the member 1 and it will thus follow the groove until it reaches the end of the groove and drops into the hole 5. The marble will then roll down the bore 2 and pass through the hole 6 again and thus the operation will be repeated again and again as long the member 1 is revolved. Of course a number of marbles or other spheres can be used, as shown in Figure 1. This device will afford amusement to children and other persons.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a supporting frame, a member rotatably mounted therein and having a bore and a spiral groove on its exterior with passages connecting the ends of the grooves with the bore, means permitting the member to be rotated, a spherical member, means for holding the spherical member at the top of the rotatable member and to cause it to engage the spiral groove as the member is rotated and means for catching the spherical memher as it leaves one of the holes and directing it into the spiral groove.

I 2. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a cylindrical member of slightly tapered shape rotatably mounted in they frame, said member having a spiral groove therein and holes connecting the ends of the groove with the bore of the member, track members formed with the frame at the top thereof for causing a spherical member to engage the spiral groove, bars connected with the large end of the cylindrical memher for catching the spherical member as itdrops' through the hole at this end of the cylindrical member and directing it into the end of'the spiral groove and a guard on the frame for preventing the sphericalmember from rolling off the cylindrical member.

3. A device of the class described comprising a supporting frame of inverted U-shape, a horizontally arranged rotary member supported by said frame, said rotary member being of cylindrical shape and slightly tapered and having a bore at its center, a cylindrical groove on its exterior and a hole connecting'one end of the groove with the bore, a Z-shaped groove connected With the other end of the spiral groove and a holeconnecting the zigzag groove With :the bore, the bight ofthe frame forming track means, a pairof track members carried by the rotary member and arranged adjacent the sec,- ond hole in the rotary member and a spherical member adapted to travel along the grooves and the holes and bore of the member when the same is rotated. In testimony WhereofI afiix my signature.

EDWARD E. FRANCE. 

